A Few Easy Steps To Take To Reduce Your Kitchen Paper Waste
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Step 1: Cloth over paper
In the Askew household, we use colorful cloth napkins every day…(and they take up very little room in the washer/dryer, so don’t try to argue that the upkeep is expensive or a hassle.) Organic cotton kitchen towels, colorful hemp napkins, and hemp dish and kitchen towels will run from $4.00 to $20.00 depending on size/brand. Handi Wipes reusable polyester wiping cloths work just like paper towels on messy or sticky spills ($2.00 -to- $3.00 at most major drugstores). Or save yourself some mo money by tearing up old T-shirts, towels, dishrags into rags to clean up that spill by Johnny’s seat. By using these simple alternatives to paper towels and napkins, you will save a fair amount of money…and the environment.
For those times when paper is the best solution, look for processed-chlorine-free (PCF) recycled-paper goods with the highest post-consumer-waste (PCW) content possible. Check out: Seventh Generation 80 percent PCW, PCF paper towels or Green Forest 40 percent PCW, PCF paper towels (http://www.drugstore.com) and/or Whole Foods’ 365 brand 80 percent PCW, PCF napkins (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com).
Step 2: Eat less processed food
McDonalds is not a food group.
Now, go open your pantry door. What do you see? If you are anything like what we used to see…you’ll likely be staring at rows of paper or cardboard packaging, which doesn’t accompany fresh food. While you may not be able to avoid processed food entirely because of your fast moving schedule, you can:
1) Know what’s recyclable. Most cardboard and paperboard boxes are recyclable, but aseptic cartons may not be accepted by your curbside recycler.
2) Buy less packaging. Cereal packaged in plastic alone requires less packaging overall (and less fuel to ship), and saltine crackers don’t need to be packaged individually. Pack lunches in reusable containers and minimize your use of ziplock-like plastic bags.
Step 3: Reuse your coffee filters.
While I and my wife do not like the flavor of coffee, and therefore do not own a coffee pot (warning, warning…If you want coffee at the Askew household you must bring it with you!), we’ve been told by our java-loving friends to stop using paper filters and try a filter-less French press, like the classic Chambord made by Bodum (http://www.bodumusa.com, 800-232-6386). In drip coffee makers, reusable cone or basket filters can get rid of the oils that will be left behind by French-presses, but metal filters may not remove them as thoroughly as hemp cloth (http://www.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873).
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
Handy Helpers - Common Household Items
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Here is ‘Page Three’ of our series on common household items that can do much more than you may think!
Dryer Sheets
1 ) Repel mosquitoes by hanging a dryer sheet in the outdoor area you will be enjoying.
2 ) Repel bees and bugs by tucking dryer sheets in your picnic basket or under lawn furniture. You can also rub a sheet directly on your bare skin.
3 ) De-stink your pets by rubbing them down (especially when wet) with a dryer sheet.
4 ) Freshen the air by placing a sheet in a drawer; in the waste basket; under the seat of your car; inside your luggage (especially when stored away), or where ever needed.
5 ) Eliminate static electricity by rubbing a sheet over your computer monitors and TVs. Also, lightly rub or pat clothes, stockings, hair to eliminate static ‘cling’.
6 ) Remove soap scum from shower door and tile by rubbing the surfaces with a sheet when shower tile and door are wet; then rinse.
7) Soak cookware with freshly burnt or baked-on food in warm water with a dryer sheet -or- two. Makes clean-up easier. Also works on cook tops and dingy cabinet doors.
8 ) Run a sewing needle through a sheet before sewing to prevent the thread from tangling.
Epsom Salt
1) Ex foliate skin by massaging handfuls of Epsom salt over wet skin. Rinse well.
2 ) Help draw out a splinter by soaking in Epsom salt.
Honey
1 ) Treat minor skin abrasions with honey to hasten the healing process with it’s antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
2) Soak in milk and honey bath to smooth skin and give it a honey-milk scent. Combine 1/3 cup of honey with two and a 1/4 cup of milk. Mix thoroughly. Enjoy!
3 ) Help a hangover by spooning a few tablespoons of honey on toast for breakfast. The fructose speeds up the metabolism of alcohol.
Ketchup
1) Get rid of chlorine green hair with a ketchup shampoo. Massage into hair; let stand for 15 minutes; rinse, then wash hair again with baby shampoo.
Lemon
1) Relieve a sore throat by cutting a lemon in half; roast in an oven or on cook top until the peel is golden brown. Let cool enough to pick up; squeeze juice in a cup with 1 teaspoon of honey.
2) Whiten fingernails by rubbing a wedge of lemon on the surface of your nails.
3) Create blonde highlights by adding 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice to 3/4 cup of water and rinse your hair. Do not rinse; sit in the sun until your hair dries.
4) Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater by rubbing both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
The Perfect Unique Gift…Whether You Know The Recipient Well Or Not
Sunday, December 20, 2009
I love finding the perfect, unique gift for someone. It’s like a sport for me. Is it a skill or a genetic talent? I don’t know. I just know I’ve got it. Actually, I enjoy giving the perfect gift more than I enjoy receiving gifts. Mainly, because no one else seems to be as good at it as I am… or they’re just lazy. (Laugh Mom. It’s a joke. Sort of.) However, it is very difficult to find the perfect gift for someone that you really just don’t know that well… a.k.a. your sister-in-law’s family. I’ll explain.
My brother and his wife, Lesley , have been married for a year-and-a-half, and this was to be her first Christmas away from her family. I’m sure most married people reading this are familiar with the swapping of major family holidays each year. Unlike our family Christmas celebrations that include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, many children and more, Lesley’s holiday gatherings for the past several years have consisted of her mother, sister, brother-in-law and niece. Since they live several states away, Lesley’s arrival was always a defining part of Christmas for them. So, a couple of ideas and discussions later, her family will be celebrating Christmas at my parent’s house this year; hence the dilemma of finding great gifts for people that I don’t know that well.
To be fair, the kid is easy. She’s adorable, precocious and not quite three years old. It’s just not that hard. While the husband is more difficult, let’s face it, it just doesn’t seem as important to pick the perfect gift for him. I doubt he’s expecting much, so just throw a tool or gadget his way and he should be happy. But women are different. They’re a little more particular. They usually expect more and they’re certainly more judgmental about gifts. And there is definitely a little competition between the other sister and me… a competition for what, I don’t know, but a little competition nonetheless.
Serendipitously, I am helping a client find space for a new retail business. Her concept is to sell hand-made gifts by local artisans from around the Southeast and offer instruction to non-artisans like myself on how to create our own little artistic treasures. Perfect! What better place to find something “small and pretty”. (Seriously, that’s the direction Lesley offered when I inquired as to what to get her mother and sister. Small and pretty? - My first thought was to pick up one of Brangelina’s kids. Too expensive though. On to Plan B.) Sadly, my client’s shop won’t open until spring.
However, in doing research to assist her in her quest for the perfect retail space, I came across a couple of other shops in town that have similar concepts. I checked out The Collective in Inman Park (http://www.atthecollective.com) and Youngblood in Poncey-Highland (http://www.youngbloodgallery.com). They both had such cool items that I almost forgot that I was there to shop for others, but Beehive Co-op on Peachtree (http://www.beehiveco-op.com) is where I struck “gift gold”.
There were so many great items, it was hard to choose. Finally, I decided on a hand-molded angel that had been glazed in a rust finish with hints of gold, and an elegant zippered cosmetic bag in a salmon colored fabric with coordinating brown trim. Perfect “small and pretty” gifts for almost any woman. I also picked up a couple of gifts for my mother and my sister-in-law while I was there, but I’ll leave the details out since they both may be checking back into this blog before Christmas morning. They’re fabulous though, if I do say so myself.
So, if you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping for those you know well and not so well, you might want to stop in one of the three shops mentioned earlier for a unique gift from a local artisan. With the hardships retailers across the country are facing this holiday season, I feel confident they will be thrilled to help you find the perfect gift! Best wishes for a wonderful holiday! - Ashlee Heath
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
ABCs For Buying Your First Home
Thursday, December 17, 2009
You know the benefits of owning your home. You know the government is begging you to buy and are willing to put their (your) money in your pocket as a reward for buying. You know that your lease expires soon or you are willing to pay whatever penalty is necessary to terminate your lease early so you can get in on the best time in over 50 years to buy… Now what?
A. Define The Parameters
1) Meet with a lender who has been recommended by people you trust and have them pull your credit report and extract all needed data about your job, your income, your expenses, etc. so they can tell you the appropriate, maximum price range you should pay for your new home.
2) Meet with a REALTOR who has been recommended by people you trust have talk with them about the type home you’re looking for. Do you want to have a yard that will require upkeep? Or would you rather be able to lock and leave at a moments notice…so yard maintenance is a ‘no go’? (Do you like particular styles of homes?, etc.) What part of town would be most advantageous for you? Proximity to work, other family members or friends, or a particular school, or place of worship is a critical consideration for most of us! But please note that while you can describe your dream home can you afford it? See step 1!
3) Then go onto our website and play! From there you can look at all types of properties which will help meld your desires and ability. Once you have an idea of the price range, area, type, and style home, we can set our system up to automatically send you listings that match your parameters whenever those properties become available!
B. Got Out And Search
If you are working with a good real estate agent who listens and endeavors to find you what you want and need, the home buying process should be relatively quick and painless. A good agent will preview homes and show you only what meets your parameters (as long as your parameters are relative to the market).
Back in the “good old days” we suggested you physically inspect/look at, a minimum of 20 properties before making a buying decision. We felt that was necessary for you to learn what your money should buy you. However, today, with the ability to view properties from the comfort of your home or office, we feel you should physically inspect/look at, anywhere from five to ten properties to learn the marketplace. Then it is just a matter of finding the property you feel best suits your needs.
We find that a motivated buyer can find their home in one -to- two days.
C. Selecting “The One”
Have you ever watched the news when they are reporting on stores that are offering wedding dresses for 75% off? Did you notice the mayhem?
Then and now, when buying your home - when you see what you want, grab it! Some times you’ll know when you drive up to the curb. Some times it takes going inside and feeling the vibes…other times it is a matter of elimination.
But let me tell you a secret - a good agent will oftentimes know which property you will select before you’ve seen it. Some call it intuition…others call it luck…and others acknowledge it comes from listening closely to the buyer and understanding what they truly want, and then allowing the buyer to find the home without interference from their agent.
When you go out to view properties with your REALTOR, we suggest you take copious notes and consider taking photographs when allowed. (Some owners do not want strangers taking photos of their home until a contract has been negotiated.) My favorite way to select a property is the ‘matter of elimination’ where you compare two homes and eliminate one. And when you eliminate it, you leave photos, brochures, etc of the eliminated property behind when you go home because you eliminated it when everything was fresh! No need to go back and rehash! Then when you go to property # 3, you compare it with the winner between property # 1 and # 2 and so on.
In any event, when you decide which home feels right, don’t wait. It is very disheartening to get geared up for a property only to find out it went under contract a few hours before you submitted an offer. We have seen this scenario play out too many times. Learn from others’ mistakes!
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News